After selling more than 15 million pints of TROOPER since its launch in 2013, IRON MAIDEN and ROBINSONS BREWERY kept things moving with the limited edition TROOPER 666 and RED ‘N’ BLACK beers (all of which I still have in my office fridge here at Rock Father HQ!). Now comes word that their fourth brew is on the way this fall, and it’s a Belgian style beer: HALLOWED.
ROBINSONS’ Master Brewer Martyn Weeks and IRON MAIDEN’s lead vocalist BRUCE DICKINSON have once again teamed up to create something very special for beer and music fans alike.
BRUCE DICKINSON explains: “What makes this brew pretty special is that we’re adopting a Belgian yeast for the first time. I’m a big fan of Belgian beers, so I jumped at the chance to brew my own. While I get very excited about experimenting with new formulas and ingredients, the thing about Belgian beer is that it’s as much a way of life as it is a drink. We’ve tried to bottle that philosophy in HALLOWED, albeit with a British twist.”
At 6.0% ABV in a 330ml bottle, HALLOWED is a Belgian inspired beer that’s brewed in England. It is also one of the first beers to be brewed by ROBINSONS Brewery that uses Belgian yeast. ROBINSONS haven’t changed the yeast used in their beers since 1942, which makes HALLOWED even more special.
Martyn Weeks, Head Brewer at ROBINSONS Brewery, continues;“It’s all in the yeast. Belgian yeast yields a very distinct taste and presentation. You can sniff out a Belgian beer simply from its aromas: fruity, spicy and earthy. Belgian yeasts withstand higher alcohol levels, they attenuate well and create an array of phenolics and esters… put simply, this means more flavour and I think Hallowed drinkers are in for a treat.”
HALLOWED’s innovative bottle label pays tribute to Belgian beer, presenting IRON MAIDEN’s iconic mascot EDDIE, robed in traditional monk’s clothing: a nod to the Trappist monastic brewing tradition in Belgium.
Not sure what the availability will be like right off the bat, but it looks like I’ll have to be hitting the local Binny’s Beverage Depot, which has been my source of the TROOPER hook-up in the Chicago area in years past.
